Muffle or furnace for annealing.



PATENTED OCT. 16

I A. ISMALLWOOD.

MUFFLB 0R FURNACE FOR'ANNBALING.

APPLIOATION FILED 8111.19. 1905.

Flat-2,

III

Fla. 3

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED SMALIAVOOD, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE INCAN- DESOENT HEAT COMPANY LIMITED, 'OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

MUFFLE OR FURNACE FOR ANNEALING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

Application Bled January 19, 1906. Serial No. 241,904-

of 52 Gracechurch street, in the city of London, in the county of Middlesex, England,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Muil'les or Furnaces for Annealing; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

IO In the case of furnaces for annealing tubes, sheets, rods,and other metal articles, and which furnaces are applicable for use in connection with glass, pottery, and various other classes of articles, such furnaces consist of an annealil'ig-chaniber with a combustion-chamber which is arranged intermediately bet-ween the lirerate and the annealing-chainber, with a tire-brick, tire-clay, or other suitable partition between the two which in work becomes incandescent throughout and which assists in igniting theincombusted gases as they pass from the lire-grate through the combustion-chan'iberto the heating or animating chamber, the object being to distribute those parts of the furnace which require to be ina state of incandeslcence, so as to obtain a more rapid ignition of the gases inproportion to the size of the comlbustion-cha'mber and at the same time ren- .der most of t he. surrounding lining of the annealing-chainber incamlescent. throughout, by which a moreell'ective distribution of the heat is obtained. By this arrangement the heated gases, less the amount absorbed by the articles underprocess of annealing, can i be conveyed to a second and even a third annealing-chamber, thereby saving the fuel which would otherwise be required for heating the one or two successive chambers,

40 while at the same time either or any of such annealing-cltamb0rs can be more readily converted so as to be applicable for eit her close" or open annealing, as may be required.

The combustion-chamber is placed under the anuealing-chamber, with the lire-grate arranged at the rear or side. ofthe combustion-chamber so as to be farthest removed from the beat-exit, the roof or division between the two chambers being constructed with lire-bricks, tirc-cla v, or other material of a kind which is suitable for becoming incandescent under heat, the lower side of the roof of the combustion-cluunber being so dcpower of acting as an accumulator and retarder of heat which has been generated in the coinbastion-chamber and otherwise to form a means whereby practically complete combustion can be assisted.

In order ttlftlll'll the heat-accumulator and obtain the desired. result, the roof is designed and so constructed as to increase the area of the lower side thereof by corrugatet'l, draughtboard, or other surface extensions, projections, orexcrescences, which extend orproject into the combustion-chamber sulliciently to assist. in breaking up, mixing, and circulating the incombusted material and gases.

.ln furnaces for annealing certain articles, including some classes of tubes, for the prevent ion of oxidation it is necessary that they should not be exposed or in any way subjected to the external atmosphere either when under the process of annealing or during the various stages of cooling, and this invention enables the articles to be placed in the furnace or muille, also transferred therefrom into one or two cooling-chambers in succession, and. l inall y removed from the last coolilig-chamber without being ()ipUSLli to So the external atmosphere during any intermediate change between entering the lnullle and leaving the last cooling-chaml)er, while at the same time the mullle and succeeding ctailing-chainbers can all be in use at the. same time.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a section of one of the muliles or annealing-furllaces. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section through Fig.

l on the line B B, showing a pair of such 0 furnaces side by side. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section through Fig. l on the lines B B". Fig. 4 is an enlargement. of one of the annealing-chantbers shown in Fig. 2 to further illustrate the means of movingthe 5 goods from the chamber without opening it to the atmosphere.

Like numerals and letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the speciiication'and drawings.

In applying this invention toannealingchambers a cavity 1 is provided in the side walls of the annealing-chamber 13, and such cavity is extended down to the combustionchamber B at the several points where not I05 required for the support of floor B of the annealing-chatnber 13, as shown in Figs. 2 and IOC signedand constructed as to ncrease its t, and in some cases above the arch of the annealing-chamber, the lower part ofthe cavity in the roof of the combustion-chamber B being enlarged at the mouth 2, so as to readily admit of the heated gases rising up into and flowing through to the cavities for the purpose of rendering the lining of the annealingchamber incandescent throughout. her of fire-bricks or blocks of suitable material .in some cases are built into the lining, so as to project at intervals across the cavity to assist in conducting the heat to the lining 3.

For facilitating the conversion of the m"- nace from one for open annealing to one for close annealing, in which the chamber is her metically'sealed' during the annealing of the articles, the heat ex-i-t from the combustion chamber is eficctedby one or more vertical fines, arranged to convey the heat from the combustion-chamber around the annealingchamber H, and one or more vertical fines, connected with the flue above the annealing chamber, as shown and described in the drawings and specification of my concurrent application, Serial No. 280,940.

In the application of this invention to furnaces for annealing certain articles, including some classes of tubes, which for the prevention oi oxidation it is necessary should not be exposed or'in any way subjected to the external atmosphere either when under the process of annealing or during the various stages of cooh ing, the close-annealing chamber H consists, preferably, of a cylinder 11-, of firebrick, firecl ay, metal, or other material suitable for the particular articles to be annealed, and whichis built in a heating-chamber, so as to form a clear passage througlrthe anneal'ing-chamber from front to rearof the furnace and also leave a space extending all round between the out side 01 the annealing-chamber H; and the inside oi the heatiugchamber 13-, with the exception of the parts 14, uponwhich the annealing-chamber H is supported.

Cylinders 15 are provided at the rear of the furnace in continuation of the annealingchamber for the purpose of forming one, two, or more cooling-chambers in succession, while the annealing-chamber ll and each of the cooling-chambcis formed bythe cylinders 15 are divided by a partition-door 16, which is preferably hung upon pivots to swing in one direction only, by which means each chamher is hermetically sealed both from the adjoining chamber and from the external at mosphere. The cylinder 15 may be surrounded by a jacket oi water17, which absorbs the heat during the cooling process and admits'of the jacket being used for generating steam for various purposes.

A platform 18 of similar length to that of the annealingchamber is provided at the front of the furnace, and a tramway 19 extends from the front end of the latform throu h the annealing and cooling c ambers an 15 and upon a similar length of plat A num.

-f0rnr20 at the rear, and'upon this tramway the trucks, such as 21, for conveying the arti cles to be annealed are arranged to travel. An endless chain '22 or'other suitable' means of imparting motion is arranged along the track of the tramway and in the case of a chain engages with a sprocket 23. which is mounted at the extreme end of each platform and by 'meansof the rear one of whichithe chain 18 the chain and platform or troughare raised,

but which is clear otthe'cliaiu when the platform or trough is inthe normal'positlonf By these means any truck can be 'inoved'fi'om one chamber H to, another, 15, without afl'ecting any truck which may be iiranother cham-' her and without the necessity of openingany external door, as the inoving" truck 21wi1l raise or 'open'the doinl fif requiredin the course of its travel from one chamber to 3,11" other, the door closing by its own gravity i111 mediately the truck lias"pa sed', while the chain 2'3, being free/to travel independently of the trucks, can be so moved prior to engaging with any particular truck that the portion of heated chain in the annealing chamber is removed to the lowei" return, in which no strain is required, the cold part of the chain being then in position for conveying the loaded trucks as required. i

It will readily be seen that the particular form of engaging mechanism between the conveyer and the lLIUQkS may be va'r-ied so long as the independent transferring move-- ment of any truck from one chamber to another can'bc eflectedwithout opening any or either of the chambers to the external-atmosphere.

In any of the aforementioned cases the heat which remains after passing through or around the annealing chamber H, as may by" reason of the open or close annealinghereinafter described, is utilized by passin; it under a second anhealing-chamber, which may be arranged at the side of the first chamber, as illustrated by Fig; 2, the cavities 1 and 2 I in the side walls of the second furnace, which are connected'with the overflues of the first the horizontal partition and of the same material thereas and projecting into the combustion-chamber in the ath of the gases passing therethrough, and extensions of the combustion-chamber at the sides of said ver tical linings, the lower end of said extensions of the combustion-chamber being enlarged to freely admit the gasesin the combustionchamber into said extensions.

2. A muflle or annealing-furnace comprising a combustion-chamber, an annealingchamber arranged above the combustionchamber, a horizontal partition separating the combustion-chamber from the annealingchamber capable of becoming incandescent and forming the floor of the annealing-chamber, vertical linings connected to the roof'of the annealing-chamber and to the horizontal partition, surface extensions forming part of the horizontal partition and of the same material thereas and projecting into the combustion-chamber in the (path of the gases passing therethrough, an extensions of the combustion-chamber at the sides of said vertical linings, the lower end of said extensions of the combustion-chamber being enlarged to freely admit the gases. inthe combustionchamber into said extensions, and a closed receptacle within the annealing-chamber and located above the fioor thereof with a clear passage between the walls of the annealingchamber and saidreceptacle.

3. A mufile or annealing-furnace comfiiising a combustion-chamber, an annea gchamber arranged above the combustionchamber, a horizontal partition separating the combustion-chamber from the annealingchamber capable of becoming incandescent and forming the floor of theannealing-chamber, vertical linings connected to the roof of the annealing-chamber and to the horizontal partition, surface extensions forming part of the horizontal partition and of the same Inaterial th'ereas and projecting into the com bustion -chamber in the path of the gases passing therethrough, and extensions of the combustion-chamber at the sides of said vertical linings, the lower end of said extensions of the combustion-chamber being enlarged to freely admit the gases in the combustionchamber into said extensions, and a closed receptacle within the annealing-chamber and located above the floor thereof with a clear passage between the walls of the annealingchamber and said receptacle, track-rails within said receptacle, a chain-trough Within said receptacle between said track-rails, and means for raising said chain-trough.

4. A mufile or annealing-furnace corn ris-' ing a combustion-chamber, an annea ing chamber arranged above the combustionchamber, a horizontal partition separatingthe combustion-chamber from'the annealingchamber capable of becoming incandescent and forming the floor of the annealing-chamber, vertical linings connected to the roof of the annealing-chamber and to the horizontal partition, surface extensions forming part of the horizontal partition and of the same material thereas and projecting into the com bustion-chamber inthe path of they gases passing therethrough, and extensions of the combustion-chamber at the sides of said vertical linings, the lower end of said extensions of the combustion-chamber being enlarged to freely admit the gases in the combustionchamber into said extensions, and a closed receptacle within the annealing-chamber and located above the floor thereof with a clear passage between the walls of the annealin chamber and said receptacle, track-rai s within said receptacle, a c aim-trough within said receptacle between said track-rails,

-means for raisin said chain-trough consisting of a Vertica l -movable standard con nected to the chain-trough, a horizontallymovable lever extending through the wall of the annealing-furnace and having an inclined end to engage the vend of said standard, and a hinged door to cover the entrance to the annealing-chamber arranged to be automatically o sued by the. trunks traveling upon the trac -rails.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

I ALFRED SMALLWDOD.

Witnesses: a WALTER H. E. BARTLAM,

RQWLAND L. Goon). 

